Wesli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wesli
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wesley Louissaint |
| Born | September 6, 1980 Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec |
| Genres | Haitian music |
| Occupation(s) | guitarist |
| Instruments | vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2000s-present |
Wesli is the stage name for Wesley Louissaint. He is a talented Haitian Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and music producer. He is famous for winning a big music award, the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year, in 2019 for his album Rapadou Kreyol.
Wesli was born and grew up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In 2001, he moved to Montreal, Quebec, to study music. Before making his own music, he worked with other artists like Senaya and Sara Rénélik. His first album, Kouraj, came out in 2009. After that, he released more albums, including Liberté dans le noir (2011), ImmiGrand (2015), Ayiti Étoile Nouvelle (2015), and Rapadou Kreyol (2018).
Contents
Wesli's Story
Early Life in Haiti
Wesli grew up in Haiti with six brothers and sisters. His family was not rich. His father was a musician who played a type of Haitian folk music called twoubadou. When Wesli was only eight years old, his father invited him to play percussion instruments with him.
In 1991, there was a difficult time in his country when the government changed suddenly. To stay safe, Wesli and his parents traveled by boat to escape the trouble. They spent a year in a temporary camp before returning to live in a poor area of Port-au-Prince.
Music Journeys
Wesli joined a music group called Jazz4ever. They played Afro-roots music in many places in Haiti. Later, he traveled and performed in the West Indies and France with a group called Kreyol Mizik. He also joined a soul music group called So Kute. With them, he recorded an album and toured in Haiti and North America.
Moving to Quebec
Starting His Career (2001-2007)
In 2001, Wesli decided to make Canada his home and settled in Montreal. Soon after arriving, he started working with the team for the Festival International Nuits d'Afrique de Montréal, a big African music festival. He got to share the stage with famous African musicians like Lorraine Klaasen, Monique Séka, and King Mensah.
In 2003, Wesli met Debra Brown, a choreographer from Cirque du Soleil. Wesli was hired to travel the world as a musician and music director for different circus shows.
In 2004, Wesli played guitar for the group Muzion. They opened for Wyclef Jean at the Festival d'été de Québec, a large summer music festival.
Wesli also worked on albums for other artists:
- Senaya's album Garde la tête haute (2005) was nominated for a Juno Award in 2006.
- Sara Rénélik's album Aube (2006) was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award in 2007.
In 2006, Wesli started his own music company called WUP (Wes Urban Productions).
Wesli and the Wesli Band
In 2007, Wesli formed the Wesli Band in Montreal with musicians from different countries. The Wesli Band plays a mix of world music, afrobeat, hip-hop, soul, and Haitian roots music.
Wesli believes his band's music has an important message. He said, "With my music, I just want to bring something very useful and constructive to society. That's what music is all about. Mine is very committed and it's inspired by the everyday struggle and my rough experience in Haiti."
The Wesli Band has played at many festivals across Canada. These include the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the FrancoFolies de Montréal, and the Festival d'été de Québec.
In April 2009, Wesli released his first album, Kouraj. This album has 14 songs and was produced by Wesli himself. It talks about the struggles in Haiti and other countries. The music uses Haitian drums, African instruments like the Kora, and guitar and saxophone solos. Kouraj was very popular and led to tours across Canada and Haiti. Wesli also opened for famous artists like Magic System and Tiken Jah Fakoly.
In 2010, Wesli won the Babel Med Music Award in France. In 2011, the band performed in New York and Montreal at important music conferences.
At the end of 2011, Wesli released his second album, Liberté dans le noir. This album has 17 songs and featured collaborations with other artists like Tiken Jah Fakoly.
Wesli performs in different ways, from playing solo with just his guitar to performing with the full Wesli Band, which can have up to eight musicians. Wesli and his band have appeared on many TV and radio shows, sharing their music and stories.
Music Albums
- Kouraj (2009)
- Liberté dans le noir (2011)
- ImmiGrand (2015)
- Ayiti Étoile Nouvelle (2015)
- ImmiGrand Deluxe (2017)
- Rapadou Kreyol (2018)
- Tradisyon (2022)
